At the end of his tenure as president, Dwight Eisenhower gave the following speech -- warning of the growing influence of the "military-industrial complex." He refers to the increasing military buildup in the United States throughout the 1950s. This growth of the defense industry fueled the nation's growing economy, and by 1960 amounted to more than half of the U.S. federal expenditure. Much of the civilian population was financially dependent on defense industry, and most universities thrived on the increased research opportunities. CNN interactive